Ribes triste
northern redcurrant
Family GrossulariaceaeAlso called swamp redcurrant, wild redcurrant
About
Ribes triste, the northern or swamp redcurrant, is a low, often creeping currant of northern North America and eastern Asia whose sour red berries are a traditional food of many Indigenous peoples.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Mature size
- About 50 cm (20 in) tall, with creeping branches.
Field notes
Morphology
Grows to about 50 cm with lax, often creeping branches. Alternate palmate leaves 6–10 cm across have 3–5 lobes and are hairy beneath. In June and July, pendulous racemes 4–7 cm long carry 6–13 small purplish flowers on a glandular axis. The smooth bright red berries are rather sour.
Distribution & habitat
Across Canada and the northern United States, and in eastern Asia (Russia, China, Korea, Japan), in wet rocky woods, swamps and on cliffs.
History & etymology
Alaska Natives, Iñupiat, Iroquois and Ojibwe eat the berries raw or cooked, make jams and syrups, and dry them into cakes for winter or hunting food.
Conservation
Listed as endangered in Connecticut and Ohio and threatened in Pennsylvania.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Canada, United States, Russia, China, Japan
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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